Automobile attachment.



R. H. PRESTIEN.

AUTOMOBILE ATTACHMENT.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 8,4912.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

I. 0 t n e V n Attorneys ROBERT H. PRESTIEN, F NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

AUTOMOBILE ATTACHMENT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. PRns'rmN,

a' citizenof the United States, residinsg at tate Norfolk, in the countyof Norfolk and of Virginia, have invented a new and useful AutomobileAttachment, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a fender attachment for automobiles, itsobject being to provide a. simple structure of this type which can beapplied readily to automobiles of the ordinary types and which normallyacts as a guard or bumper to prevent injury to the machine when broughtaccidentally into contact with an obstruction.

Another object is to provide means under the constant control of thedriver whereby the active member of the attachment canbe quickly shiftedinto position to prevent the wheels from passing over a body in the paththereof.

With the foregoing andvother objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combinationandarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within thescope of what 'is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings the pre-' ferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front portion'ofanautomobile having the present improvements combined therewith. Fig. 2is a side e1evation of the attachment, the front portion of theautomobile being shown partly in section and partly in elevation. .Fig.3 is a plan view of a portion of the operating mechanism of theattachment. Fig. 4 is a detail view operate to limit the movement of thefender body, the said stops being shown in the relative positionsassumed thereby when the fender body or frame is in the positionillustrated-in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the foot plate. i

Referring to the figures by characters of reference A designates thefront portion of an automobile and to the front springs B are appliedsubstantiallyM-shaped brackets 1 held in position preferably by means ofset screws '2. These brackets have down- Specification of LettersPatent. Application filed-June a, 1912 .tudinally and also cooperatewith t'e lugs showing the stops which 00-- Serial No. 702,621.

wardly and forwardly extending L-shaped Patented Dee-.2, 1913-.

arms '3 terminating 1n eyes 4 in which a transversely extending rod 5.is journaled. Stop' lugs 6 extend downwardly from the eyes 4 andprojections 7 extend from the rod 5 close to the inner sides of the eyes4.

'These projections are L-shaped, as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 4so as to extend across the fronts of the eyes 4 and they serve toprevent the rod from slidin longi- 6 to limit the rotation of therod-within the v eyes.

Secured to the rod and revoluble therewith is a fender frame 8 soproportioned as normally to rest, along its rear edge, upon theforwardly extending portions of the arms 3. At this time the projections7 are out of contact with the lugs 6. The frame carries a netting 9 inthe form of a heavy metal fabric. I

Pivotally connectedto the front or bottom portion of the frame 8 arethe. front ends of forwardly diver ing rods 10 which are formed integralwit a rea'rwardlv exthe chassis C of. the automobile and is connected toa crank 12 carried by a transverse shaft 13. Another crank 14 is carriedby this shaft and is engaged by the lower forked end 15 of a lever 16.This lever is fulcrumed, as at 17, upon the body .of the automobile and:pivotally connected to the upper end of the lever is a foot plate 18'having an integral projection 19 constituting a dog adapted to engagethe teeth of a segment 20. A spring 21 connects the forked end of thelever 16 to the chassis C and serves to exert a constant forward pullupon the lower end of the lever.

Under normal conditions the frame 8 is supported in a substantiallyhorizontal position as shown in Fig. 1 and at which time the foot plate18 is in its rearmost position. With the frame thus located it will beseen .that it will act as an eflici'ent guard or bumper to preventinjury to the front of the automobile should the same be brought intocontact with an obstruction. If it should be desired suddenly to use thedevice as a fender so as toprevent the wheels of the automobile frompassing over a body in the tending rod 11. The rod 11 is located underpath thereof, the driver presses the foot plate 18 forward so as thus tocause the dog- 19 to slip over the teeth on the segment 20. Lever 16will therefore partly rotate the shaft 13 and cause the crank 12 to pullon the rods 11 and 10. The projections 7 will thusbe brought againstthelugs 6 as soon as the frame 8 assumes a substantially ver ticalposition. The spring 21 is of course placed under stress during this 0oration. As soon as it is desired to return tie frame 8 to its normalposition, the foot plate 18 is swung relative to lever 16 so as todisen= F gage the dog from the toothed segment, 5 whereupon the spring21 will return the parts automatically to their normal positions asshown in Fig. 1.

It is of course to be understood that the particular means for attachingthe arms 3 to the vehicle can be varied to meetvaried conditions.

In View of the fact that the fender frame is normally supported in' ahorizontal position, it will beapparent that it constitutes a moreefficient bumper than would be possible should it be normally extendeddownwardly in an inclined plane. Furthermore as all parts of the frameare supported in the same plane, the said frame is less likely to bucklewhen subjected to resistance. Im-

portance is also attached to the fact that the frame is mounted to swingabout an axis extending centrally therethrough. Thus it is possible toquietly shift the fender'frame to a vertical position with a com--paratively slight movement of the foot of the operator and it isfurthermore possible to support the fender with its axis of rota-" tio-nnearer the ground than would. other}? wise be possible, thus renderingthe device" more eflicient as a means for preventing obstructions frompassing under the vehicle to which the fender is', attached.

\Vhatis claimed is 1. An attachment for automobiles including-a fenderframe mounted for rotation about a central transverse axis, means forconnecting the frame to a vehicle, means for holding the frame normallysubstantially horizontal and projected forward for use as a bumper, andmeans for shifting the front edge of the frame downwardly and rcarwardlyto bring the frame into a substantially vertical position for use. as afender. v

2. An. attachment for automobiles and the like, including a fender framemounted for rotation about a central transverse axis, means forconnectin" said frame to the front of an automobile, said meansconstituting a support for the rear portion of the fender frame wi saidframe is in its normal posi on, ding means for holding the fra l enormally in a substantially horizent al position and projected forwardfor use as a bumper, and means for shifting the front edge of the framedownwardly and rearwardly to bring the frame into a sub stantiallyvertical position for use as a fender.

3. An attachment for automobiles including a fender frame mounted forrotation about a central transverse axis, means for connecting the frameto the front of an automobile, means under the control of the driverof-the automobile to which the structure is attached for swinging thefront of the frame downwardly and rearwardly to bring the frame to asubstantially vertical position for use as a fender, and a sprin" forautomatically returning said means an the fender frame to their normalpositions, said fender frame being normally disposed horizontally withits rear edge bearing downwardly on the connecting means.

,4. An attachment for automobiles including a fender frame mounted forrotation about a transverse axis, means for connecting the frame to thefront of an automobile,

,yieldable means for holding said frame normally in a substantiallyhorizontal plane for "use as a bumper, said connecting means serving tolimit the movement of the frame under the action of the yielding means,le-

ver operated means for shifting the front.

of the frame downwardly and rearwardly out of normal position and into asubstantially vertical position for use as afender, and means forlocking the frame in lowered position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixediny signature in the presence of two witnesses. I

nonnn'r H. PRE'S'IIEN.

Witnesses L. P. MATTHEWS, \VM. ll. FRANCIS.

